the class to respond to his or her question on a white board or select the correct answer from pre-printed cards that match the task or prompt . In practice , check-ins can be hand signals , white boards , response cards or writing answers on colored sticky notes . Tech-savvy teachers find great success using www . plickers . com for a fast way to check scholar answers using a smart phone .
With 60-second check-ins , teachers engage every student in thinking and responding to a skill , problem or question . With instant , informal data , the teacher can make thoughtful and intentional decisions throughout a lesson about his or her next instructional moves . Many teachers find that executing these check-ins multiple times throughout a lesson helps them know how to adjust accordingly to ensure that everyone is learning .
3 . Exit tickets
Finally , at the end of a class or lesson , teachers can distribute Exit Tickets to ensure that students learned the objective for the day . This is the restatement of the second , “ new ” question in the Do Now that determined how many students might have already known the information . When teachers can compare answers from both forms of assessment , they can truly discover if , and what , a student learned that day .
How many got that question wrong at the start of class but got it right at the end ? When teachers then ask a similar question on the next day ’ s “ Do Now ,” how many will have retained that information ? The Exit Tickets questions provide instant data for teachers to know how to move forward with a concept or lesson the next day . ( Another helpful website is www . gooru . org that can be used for both “ Do Nows ” and Exit Ticket data tracking .
These strategies are effective when teachers establish routines in the classroom that intentionally give them in-the-moment data . They are then better equipped to teach to mastery , differentiating for students and making every moment purposeful . Easy-toimplement tools can make a big impact in ensuring that everyone is learning , regardless of how well they think they are teaching .
School leaders have a unique opportunity to empower their teachers to do this kind of work through professional development , but the work doesn ’ t stop there . It ’ s essential for principals and school leaders to perform frequent walkthroughs to see firsthand what the students may not be understanding , as well as how proficient teachers are at executing these types of data collection strategies . If patterns emerge in this informal data collection , they could signal that something needs to be adjusted at the curricular level .
With these simple yet high leverage instructional strategies , educators can be on the front end of today ’ s need for “ instant gratification ,” with our students as the beneficiaries .
Carrie Lupoli is a CT3 associate and experienced special educator in urban districts . She founded and was principal of a school for children with special needs in Singapore , and later founded and served as executive director of Live and Learn , the largest educational consulting firm in Singapore . Carrie also served as the official Spokesperson and Child Development Expert for Mattel Fisher-Price . Carrie holds a Master ’ s in Special Education and a Master ’ s in Educational Administration , both from the University of Connecticut . 22 Leadership